Dead Love
by Catcrazy66
Summary: This is Valduggery all the way through so if you don't like that then please don't read. Skulduggery has left. Why and how? You won't know yet... You will also have no idea what has happened yet, as it is all a mystery ATM. Enjoy :) I'm going to rate it T as I don't know how bad things are going to get yet, might be raunchiness, might be language etc.
1. Chapter 1

Okay so this is a definite Valduggery, so if you don't like that idea then don't read it. I do not own any of the characters or books.

Valkyrie woke to the sound of birds singing, and the warm sunlight streamed in through her window, warming her face.

None of it made her happy. 60 years ago her entire world was flipped upside down, and had remained there unchanging.

She slowly untangled herself from the sheets on her bed and sat on the edge, her feet lightly touching the cold floor. She rose stretching and took to her bathroom for a shower. As she undressed she couldn't help thinking how her life had become a monotonous routine ever since he left.

The first forty years were the hardest, she had hardly slept, ate or even left the Edgley house and grounds, and she had soon forgotten the outside world. She was utterly grateful for her best friend though.

Tanith had brought her groceries every week to keep her going, but often returned the next week finding the last week's groceries had hardly been touched. Tanith hated seeing Valkyrie like this.

It was as if all the emotion and passion she used to have had disappeared into the dead of the night, and had ceased to return.

"Val?!" …. "Vaaal?", Tanith walked up the stairs expecting the worst. She had expected to open Valkyrie's bedroom door to find her curled up in a ball sobbing in the corner, objects smashed on the floor, and the mattress flung across the room, like she did every morning. However something this morning was different. There had been no mess, the sheets and mattress were all intact. There were no more objects in the room because Valkyrie had broken them all.

"Val?" .. "I'm in the shower Tanith" Valkyrie called from the bathroom. "You can go into the study to read if you want".

"Okay Val I will in a mo but I'm going to wait to talk to you first" Tanith called back, but was met with silence. Tanith was used to Valkyrie hardly speaking any more.

At first it was strange. I mean like c'mon it's Valkyrie we are on about. She's stubborn and loud, full of passion for her job, her life and her friends and family.


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay sorry for the abrupt ending on the first chapter guys.. This one I almost started crying for Valkyrie as I felt her loss whilst writing it. There is a spolier of The last stand of dead men in this one incase you haven't read it yet. Am trying to write at least a chapter every day, but because I'm at uni I'm busy quite a lot of the time!**

**It's a flashback just incase you get confused haha.. enjoy!**

At first she thought he was joking so she laughed which soon turned to an uneasy chuckle because he had kept silent, obviously waiting for this information to settle in, and then he was gone.

Valkyrie wasn't sure how long she'd had stood in that same spot, but once she had finally looked up at the clock on the mantelpiece she knew it had been hours, and the room had become dark and sinister.

That's when the panic struck.

She frantically screamed his name searching the mansion, expecting to find him sat in his favourite armchair in the living room. She ran down the grand staircase but tripped halfway and eventually came sliding off the bottom step onto the glacial floor. Valkyrie jumped up not caring about her bruised lip and the cut on her forehead which started to trickle and ooze with blood.

Her head was pounding but she didn't care. She threw open the double doors and ran down the second flight of concrete stairs to find she had yet again tripped and landed this time on her back side. The panic had made her clumsy, but she carried on through the storm which raged on, almost like it knew all the hurt she was going through.

She didn't stop running. She couldn't stop even if she had wanted to. Occasionally she reached her hands behind her trying to propel herself forward using the air in hope she'd get to his house faster. 'Why didn't I just drive my car?!' she thought but carried on running in fear of losing precious time.

By the time she'd reached Dublin she was a state. Her clothes and hair drenched and clinged to her body. Her lip had puffed up and the cut was starting to sting, but not as much as the force of the rain against her arms and face. Even then she didn't stop running. It was like an unseen energy had pushed her forward the entire way making sure she hadn't lost time by walking or falling down.

Her legs were screaming at her by the time she'd reached his house on the nicer and more quiet side of Dublin. Valkyrie bent over panting and struggling to regain her breath. Her body shaked violently from the strain but she refused to give up.

Slowly she walked to the door. Locked. Valkyrie made her way to every window, and in turn each curtain was shut, so she couldn't see, so she ran around the back and banged against the back door.

"LET ME IN"... "LET ME IN". "please" she finished whispering.

Valkyrie suddenly had a thought. Not caring about the sigils that would be activated she slammed her elbow into the glass, tearing some of her skin at the same time.

'No sigils? That's odd...' she thought. She opened the door from the inside and crept into the house straight into the living room.

Empty.

"NO" she screamed over and over whilst running through the house slamming into each room. Everything was gone. The house was bare, as if no one had ever lived there.

That wasn't going to stop her though, so she ran out of the house and straight for the sanctuary.

Erskine Ravel looked up at the shuddering girl that stood before him and rushed to catch her as she started to collapse. Her breathing uneven and low. "Where?" is all she could manage to whisper.

Erskine looked into her chocolate eyes, regretting already what he was about to say.

"Valkyrie.. I'm...I'm so sorry... He has resigned. He's gone."

**Please review and let me know what you think! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay so this chapter is short and sweet but please review :D enjoy! **

Valkyrie dressed and walked out into her room, glancing at Tanith she flopped onto the bed, closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. "What do you wanna talk about then?"

"Well Val.. uh... I was talking to Ravel earlier this morning, and he wants you to come back to work... if your ready that is?". Valkyrie's eyes popped open, and she sat up slowly looking Tanith in the eyes. "I mean Val it might be good, you know? You haven't worked in years now, and it's not good to keep yourself cooped up. You don't even have to train cuz you've still got it right?".

Despite her woes, Valkyrie had started training again a couple of years ago to get herself fit again, and it soon became an easy way to let out all of her frustration and anger. She'd turned one of the many rooms into a gym and training area.

"I suppose I could... What's been going on that Ravel needs me for?".

"No particular reason, it's been surprisingly quiet. But there are some cases that you could work on?... I... I mean _we_ all think you should start your life again. Get back in there... you know?"

Tanith felt bad saying it but Valkyrie just needed to hear it, and the best friend automatically has the responsibility of telling her.

Valkyrie looked at Tanith, and Tanith looked back. She wasn't sure how she was going to react.

"Yeah sure" She finally said.

"Phew! For a minute there I wasn't sure what you were going to say! Ha!" Tanith jumped up and grabbed her coat. "I'll be downstairs waiting for you okay?"... "Everyone's gonna be thrilled by the way! We've missed you so much". Valkyrie smiled but didn't say anything, so Tanith left.

Valkyrie sat there for a couple of minutes. She wasn't ready really. She didn't want to go anywhere that reminded her of him, but she just had to suck it up. Tanith was right, she needed to go out and stop moping. Maybe this would help? Maybe it wouldn't...

She stood up and grabbed her car keys off of the windowsill and made her way downstairs. Tanith stood by the door beaming at her, and then opened the door jumped on her bike and sped off.

Once she was sat in her car she sighed and pulled away down the long drive.

Okay she was here, she felt the panic rising again but took some deep breaths and stepped out of the car. Tanith strolled over, took her by the arm and before she knew it she was stepping inside, and swiftly greeted by Tipstaff.


End file.
